Chapter 98 Was this proposal too easy?
After driving for two hours, from the city center to the suburbs, the tall buildings gradually thinned out and the coconut groves became denser.
Finally, turning into the depths of a desolate coconut grove, a small two-story villa with white walls and red tiles stood all alone.
"We're here." Old Chen parked the car. "This house belongs to my cousin and it's empty. It's fully furnished, but don't leave the lights on too late. Although there aren't many people around, it's not deserted."
The three got off the bus.
Li Hanzhou supported Qi, while Fang Che carried the simple luggage.
The villa is newer inside than outside, and the decoration is simple.
The first floor has a living room, kitchen, and guest room; the second floor has a master bedroom and study.
"Seventh Brother, it's more convenient to stay in the guest room on the first floor," Fang Che said. "Brother Li, shall we stay on the second floor?"
Li Hanzhou nodded and helped Qi into the guest room.
After Qi lay down, Li Hanzhou examined his wounds.
When the gauze was removed, the stitches looked like centipedes crawling on the shoulder.
Li Hanzhou disinfected the wound, applied medicine, and re-bandaged it. His movements were not gentle, but very careful.
"Thanks," Qi said.
Li Hanzhou didn't respond. He packed up his medical kit and stood up, saying, "I'll come to change the dressing tonight."
He walked out of the guest room and saw Fang Che standing in front of the refrigerator with a serious expression.
"What are you looking at?"
“Brother Li,” Fang Che turned his head, “there are only frozen dumplings and instant noodles in this refrigerator. If we stay here for a week, we’ll get work-related injuries from eating them.”
Li Hanzhou walked over and opened the refrigerator door.
There were a few boxes of dumplings on the top layer, a few packets of instant noodles on the bottom layer, and a few eggs left in the corner.
"I'll go out to buy it tomorrow."
“No, Zhou Sir said we can’t go out.” Fang Che stroked his chin, his eyes suddenly lighting up. “But… there seems to be a patch of wasteland in the backyard, could we grow some vegetables?”
Li Hanzhou did not respond.
"Just kidding." Fang Che laughed, pulling out two boxes of dumplings. "We'll make do tonight. Seventh Brother's injured, he needs something nutritious... Hey, the eggs aren't spoiled yet! I'll make some fried dumplings with poached eggs!"
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, a movement that aggravated his back injury, causing him to gasp in pain.
Li Hanzhou pressed him down into a chair: "Sit down and give orders."
"Then I'll give you instructions." Fang Che didn't stand on ceremony. "Brother Li, cook the dumplings first. Put them in the pot when the water boils, and cook for another two minutes after they float to the surface. I'll crack the eggs!"
Li Hanzhou took the pot, filled it with water, and turned on the fire.
The movements are very practiced.
"Brother Li, you can cook?"
“When I lived alone, I couldn’t just starve to death.” Li Hanzhou put the dumplings into the pot, “but I only knew how to cook frozen ones.”
"That's still better than me." Fang Che chuckled as he cracked an egg, several pieces of shell falling in. "In my past life in Northeast China, my mom did all the cooking. I was just responsible for eating and getting beaten up."
Why were you beaten up?
“Mischievous.” Fang Che’s eyes crinkled. “Climbing trees to steal bird nests, going down to the river to catch fish, getting into fights… I got beaten a lot. My mom beat me really hard; she could even break the broom handle.”
He spoke lightly, but Li Hanzhou sensed a longing in his voice.
That hometown I can never return to, those relatives I can never see again.
“Ah Che,” Li Hanzhou suddenly said, “when we get back to Hong Kong, I’ll go with you to the Northeast for a visit.”
Fang Che froze, his hand hanging in mid-air.
"Never mind..." he forced a smile, "There's no going back."
Li Hanzhou was puzzled.
Fang Che didn't explain further and poured the egg mixture into the pot.
The dumplings cooked quickly, and Fang Che's pan-fried dumplings with poached eggs were also ready.
The presentation was so-so; the dumplings were a bit burnt and the eggs were a bit runny, but the aroma was irresistible.
The two carried it to the guest room.
Qi had already sat up, leaning against the headboard. His face was still pale, but he seemed to be in better spirits.
"Eat." Fang Che handed over a bowl. "Seventh Brother, you're injured, so eat something light. I used less oil in the fried dumplings."
Qi took the bowl, looked at the golden, crispy fried dumplings and tender eggs inside, and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Eat quickly, it won't be good if it gets cold," Fang Che urged him.
Qi picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fried dumpling, and put it in his mouth.
Chew and swallow.
"How was it?" Fang Che's eyes lit up.
Qi picked up another piece and whispered, "...Delicious."
Fang Che smiled as if he had won the lottery: "Then eat more! There's more in the pot!"
Li Hanzhou stood at the door, watching Qi eat with his head down.
This assassin, whose eyes were once vacant, now holds a bowl and eats fried dumplings one bite at a time, his movements somewhat clumsy yet full of appreciation.
This knife is being slowly warmed into a person by a simple meal of fried dumplings and poached eggs.
The first night in the safe house was eerily quiet.
Fang Che's back injury flared up at night, causing him to toss and turn in bed in pain.
When Li Hanzhou came out of the shower, he saw him curled up, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"pain?"
"Hmm..." Fang Che's voice was muffled by the pillow, "It's okay during the day, but at night it feels like someone is stabbing me with an awl."
Li Hanzhou sat down on the edge of the bed: "Change the dressing."
"It was just changed this afternoon..."
“It’s inflamed.” Li Hanzhou lifted his clothes.
Blood seeped through the bandage on the side of the waist.
Upon opening it, the wound was red and swollen, with some ulceration at the edges.
Li Hanzhou's expression darkened instantly, and he got up to get the first-aid kit.
The moment the medicine was applied, Fang Che jumped up in pain, blurting out in his Northeastern accent, "Be gentle, Brother Li! This hurts more than being slaughtered back home!"
Li Hanzhou paused, "Slaughtering a pig? You're harder to please than a pig."
"Then I'm also the pig you raised," Fang Che said, his eyes brimming with tears. "You have to take full responsibility."
Li Hanzhou smiled and softened his movements: "Okay, I'll take full responsibility."
He carefully cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and re-bandaged it.
Fang Che bit the corner of the pillow without making a sound, but his body was trembling violently, and his fingers were gripping the bed sheet tightly.
After the bandage was finished, sweat appeared on Li Hanzhou's forehead.
He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Fang Che's pale face, feeling as if his heart was being cut by a dull knife.
“Ache,” he said softly, “I’m sorry.”
“Here we go again.” Fang Che turned around. “Brother Li, if you apologize again, I’ll really get angry. I came to Thailand of my own volition, I went to jail of my own volition, and I smashed the generator of my own volition. It has nothing to do with you.”
"But you did it for me."
"Yes, for you." Fang Che said matter-of-factly, "I'm doing it willingly, what are you being so dramatic about?"
Li Hanzhou was speechless for a moment, then laughed: "You're right, I was being dramatic."
He lay down, pulled Fang Che into his arms, and carefully avoided the wound.
Fang Che leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and the pain seemed to subside a little.
As he drifted off to sleep, he heard Li Hanzhou whisper:
"Ah Che, let's get married once you've recovered."
Fang Che instantly regained his senses.
"……What?"
"Marriage," Li Hanzhou repeated, his voice steady. "To a foreign country, somewhere where we can get a marriage certificate. I want to be your man legitimately."
Fang Che's nose tingled, and tears fell.
“Brother Li,” he choked up, “your proposal was too blunt, like a business deal.”
"Then how should I say it?"
"I should say..." Fang Che wiped away his tears, mimicking the tone of a character from a TV drama, "A-Che, I love you, I want to spend my whole life with you, will you marry me?"
Li Hanzhou was silent for a few seconds, then repeated earnestly, "A-Che, I love you. I want to spend my whole life with you. Will you marry me?"
Fang Che cried even harder, nodding vigorously: "I'm willing! I'm a hundred times willing!"
Li Hanzhou smiled and lowered his head to kiss him.
The kiss was light and gentle, carrying the bitter taste of medicine and the saltiness of tears.
After the kiss, Fang Che nestled in his arms and whispered, "Brother Li, when we get back to Hong Kong, let's have a feast. Let's invite all the brothers from Portland Street and have a lively celebration."
"good."
"Please have Seventh Brother be the best man."
Li Hanzhou paused for a moment: "...Okay."
"And Ah Gui, Cheng Tieniu, Xi Rong..." Fang Che's voice trailed off, "Inspector Zhou is also invited, and Brother Lu is invited if he can come..."
He fell asleep.
Li Hanzhou gazed at his peaceful sleeping face for a long time before softly saying:
"Go to sleep. I will give you a home."
The next morning, Fang Che was awakened by birdsong.
My back still hurts, but it's better than last night.
He opened his eyes and saw that Li Hanzhou was already awake, standing by the window, looking out through the gap in the curtains.
"Brother Li, what are you looking at?"
“There’s someone there,” Li Hanzhou said in a low voice. “Lying around outside the coconut grove, doesn’t seem like a local.”
Fang Che's heart tightened, and he got up: "Jiang Kun's men?"
“I’m not sure.” Li Hanzhou drew the curtains. “But the safe house may have been exposed.”
"Then what should we do?"
"Wait." Li Hanzhou turned to look at him. "Zhou Wenxuan said he would contact us if anything happened. Until then, we cannot act rashly."
Fang Che nodded, his heart pounding.
Breakfast was still frozen dumplings and eggs.
Qi's injury is better; he can get out of bed and walk around, but his movements are slow.
During the meal, Li Hanzhou recounted his discovery from that morning.
Qi put down his chopsticks, his eyes turning cold: "If they are Jiang Kun's men, they will make their move tonight."
Why tonight?
“They’re too conspicuous during the day,” Qi said. “There are no lights in the coconut grove at night, making it easier to strike. They’re good at night raids.”
Fang Che swallowed the dumpling, his eyes darting around: "Then we need to make some preparations."
"What are your thoughts?" Li Hanzhou asked, looking at him.
Fang Che grinned: "There's flour in the kitchen and chili pepper trees in the backyard... Seventh Brother, can you teach me how to make a few traps?"
Qi was taken aback: "A trap?"
"That's right!" Fang Che perked up. "We can't fight head-on, we can use underhanded tactics. I learned a few tricks from an old hunter in Northeast China, for catching wild boars, the principles are similar..."
Li Hanzhou and Qi exchanged a glance.
Their eyes seemed to say, "Will this work?"
And a slight, barely suppressed smile.
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